Covid-19: 23-year-old medical student dies 22 days after receiving Bharat Biotech's 'Covaxin' in Bihar

The student tested positive for coronavirus on February 25 at the NMCH and died on March 1 in Begusarai

A 23-year-old medical student died 22 days after taking the first shot of the Covid-19 vaccine in Bihar.

Shubhendhu Shubham, a final year MBBS student of Patna’s Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), was administered the first dose of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin in February first week.

He, however, tested positive for coronavirus on February 25 at the NMCH. Shubham later left for his native place in Begusarai where he died on March 1 evening. NMCH's Principal Dr Hiralal Mahto was informed about his death on March 2.

“The CT scan of Shubham’s chest indicated that the lungs were functioning at 50-75 per cent efficiency. He bled through nose and mouth before he passed away,” one of his medico friends who visited Begusarai said.

“Shubham, after testing positive on February 25, left the NMCH campus and headed for his hometown without informing anyone,” said Mahto. “We came to know about his death on Tuesday,” he added.

“The medico was admitted to a private nursing home in Begusarai on February 27 evening after his condition deteriorated. He passed away on March 1 evening. We are not sure whether he had any pre-existing disease as post-mortem examination of Covid-19 patients is not done,” said Dr VK Jha, the Begusarai Civil Surgeon.

Meanwhile, Bihar’s Health Minister Mangal Pandey expressed his condolences after hearing the medico’s death. “Death of the medical student is saddening. We are taking all efforts to contain Covid-19,” said Pandey, adding that 15 more medicos have tested positive. “We have asked around 700 other medicos to undergo RT-PCR test,” the minister added.

Medical experts believe that a person develops immunity against coronavirus 14 days after taking the second dose of the vaccine, which is taken after a minimum of four weeks after the first shot.